morgan



3 Sheets-Sheet 1}.

(No Model.) v

J. R. MORGAN, BRAKE FOR DRUMS OP-OVERHBAD TRAVELING GRANBS.

Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

3 Sheats-Shet 2.

J.R .MORGAN. BRAKE FOR DRUMS 0F OVERHEAD TRAVELING GRANES.

Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. R. MORGAN.

BRAKE FOR DRUMS 0F OVERHEAD TRAVELING ORANES. No. 483,467. PatentedSept. 27, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. MORGAN, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO THOMASR. MORGAN, SR, THOMAS E. MORGAN, JR, AND WILLIAM H.

MORGAN, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

BRAKEIFOR DRUMS OF OVERHEAD TR AVELING CRANES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,467, datedSeptember 27, 1892.

Lpplication filed July 6, 1891. Serial No. 398,633. (No model.)

To on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN R. MORGAN, of Alliance, in the county of Starkand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBrakes or Sustaining Devices for Drums of Overhead Traveling Cranes; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in brakes or sustaining devicesfor the drums of overhead traveling cranes.

In cranes constructed to lift heavy loads the instant the power liftingthe load is Withdrawn the tendency of 'theload is to suddenly drop back,which is extremely detrimental to the gearing.

The object of this invention is to positively sustain and absorbgradually the shock imparted to the gearing.

In one class of cranes motion is transmitted to the bridge, trolley, andwinding-drum by a rotating angular shaft located adjacent to one of thetrackways and parallel therewith. This rotating shaft passes through asleeve or sleeves shaped to fit the shaft, so as to revolve therewith,but free to slide thereon as the bridge moves, the said sleeve beingsupported in bearings on the bridge and provided with pinions fortransmitting the rotary motion of the angular shaft to thedriving-wheels of the bridge, trolley, and winding drum ordrums. Inother cranes thebridge, trolley, and winding drum or drums are actuatedby a motor carried on the bridge or by motors carried on the bridge andon the trolley. With all these cranes, however, just the instant thepower lifting the load is withdrawn the load tends to drop back, and theobject of this invention is to provide devices actuated by the deviceswhich control the movements of the drums, whereby the instant the poweris withdrawn the brakes or sustaining devices are applied and remain onuntil the parts are again put in motion for either elevating or loweringthe load.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of atrolley and the parts thereof, which are essential to an understandingof this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the brake-drums andbrakeoperating mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a view in section through Fig.1.

In overhead cranes motion, as a. rule, is transmitted to the parts to bedriven through a series of shafts. It is not necessary for anunderstanding of the present invention to disclose the drivingmechanism, but it willbe sufficient to simply disclose and refer to theshaft of the train of gearing to which my brake mechanism is applied.

A represents the shaft, which first receives motion for driving thedrum, this shaft A and shaft A being geared up to move in unison. Thisparticular arrangement is designed for two winding-drums. Hence whenonly one drum is used,one of said shafts should be dispensed with.

The shafts A and A are each provided with a brake-wheel B, keyedthereto, around which are placed the metal straps C, provided on theirinner faces with blocks D, adapted to rest in contact with the peripheryof the wheels and be drawn in close contact with shorter arm of abell-crank lever F by shoes 0, the opposite ends of said straps beingconnected through the intervention of rods 1) to the shorter arm of saidbell-crank at a point near the axis of the bell-crank levers or at apoint between said axis and the point of attachment of the other end ofthe strap. The bell-crank levers F are journaled in brackets G, securedto the side of the trolley H, and each carries a weight I on its longarm, the tendency of which is to hold the brake-band in closed orlockedposition. It will be observed that when levers F are moved the twoends of the straps are moved in the same direction, one end of each,however, moving more rapidly than the other end. When the longer arms ofthe bell-crank levers F are elevated, the brake bands or straps areloosened and the brake-wheels have free play.

To apply the brakes,it is necessary to force the longer arms of thelevers downwardly. This movement moves the ends of the straps in thedirection indicated by the arrows, and, as the ends g, attached to theouter or upper ends of the shorter arms of the bell-cranks, move fasterthan the rods 6, it follows that pressure on the wheels is first appliedby the ends 9 and then by the ends 9 the straps embracing the Wheelsthroughout the greater part of their circumference and absolutelypreventing any slipping of the brake-wheels while the brakes are on. Thebores in the hubs of the bell-crank levers are slightly elongated orlarger than the bearings carrying same, as shown at 2', so as to permitthe lever to follow up the wheels as the arms carrying the bands move inthe arcs of circles.

It is evident that as soon as the band is applied to the brake-wheelsthe wheels tend to draw the lever in the direction of the rotation ofthe wheel. Hence by providing the levers with elongated slots 2' thelevers are permitted a limited movement toward the wheels and the brakesare as a result applied gradually.

In order that the brakes may clutch the wheels and be released therefromat proper times, it is necessary to connect the long arms of thebell-crank levers with the starting and stopping mechanism of the drums,so that as the drums are started the brakes will be released and as theycome to a stop the'brakes will be applied.

Fig. 3 shows the mechanism forstarting and stopping the drums, reversingthe motions, and for actuating the brake mechanism.

It is of course understood that the trolley moves back and forth on atraveling bridge, and that the operator, who controls not only themovements of the bridge, but also the trolley and the moving parts onthe trolley, is located in a cage or cabin depending from the bridgenear one end thereof. It therefore becomes necessary to provide meansfor controlling the trolley and parts thereof irrespective of theposition of the trolley. This is accomplished by providing a series ofangular shaftsjj, which latter are journaled in bearings runninglengthwise the bridge, and are connected to levers located in the cageor cabin in which the operator is located.

Carried by the trolley and embracing the angular shafts are sleeves is,carrying the segmental pinions Z Z, which latter mesh with seg- W mentalpinions mm. .Thesesegmental pinions m m are connected to the segmentalmiterwheels n n by the pitman 00', the said miter-wheels being gearedwith corresponding wheels fixed on the vertical shafts p 10'. Thus itwill be seen that when either shaftj or j is rocked the segmental pinionis also rocked and the motion thereof transmitted to the shaft 19 orshaft '19, as the case may be.

'on, being free to move longitudinally on the shafts as ,the trolley ismoved, but held against rotation independent of said shafts, it 1follows that no matter where the trolley 18 when either angular shaft isturned the motion thereof is transmitted to the part or thetrolley'which is actuated by said'shaft. The shaft 19 carries a yoke orfork for actuating the speed-clutches on shaft .9, whereby the speed ofthe drums is controlled, while the other shaft 19' is provided with ayoke or fork 7" for actuating the reversing-clutches on shaft 8', V, V V

Connected with the fork or yoke r is an arm t, which latter enters slotat in block M on rod N. This rod is provided on its opposite ends withthe inclined planes 0, which latter are mounted in bearings 0', formedon brackets G, carrying bell-crank levers This rod N is adapted to movelongitudinally and carry with it the inclined planes 0. These inclinedplanes rest under the weights on the longer arms of the bell-cranklevers and operate to elevate or lower and release or apply thebrake-bands, as previously described, the direction of movement oftheweight depending on the direction of movement of the rod N.

Shafts S, (see Fig. 3,) as before stated, operate thereversing-clutches. Now when the drum is revolving and hoisting the loadthe long arm of lever F is raised and the bottom of weight I bears atthe highest point of the incline 0, carried by the rod N. While theparts are in these positions the hoist side of "the reversingclutch' islocked'a'nd the two main brake-wheels are free from the tension of thebrake-bands. When it is desired to cease hoisting, the rod N must bemoved to the left until the brake-lever assumes the position shown inFig. 1. Now as the rod N is operated by means of connections with thereversing-clutch, the said clutch must, when the inclines and weightsare in the position shown in Fig. 1, be in their intermediate ornon-operative position, or, in other words, the hoisting and loweringsides of the reversingclutches are entirely free and the brake-bands inmaximum tension on brake-wheels and the load sustained. Consequentlywhen it is desired to lower the load or reverse the direction of drum ordrums the rod N is moved farther to the left, in which direction it wasmoved to stop the drums. This also moves the operating-cone andpartially locks the lowering reversing-clutch,which imparts positiveaction to the drums to lower the load and simultaneously release thetension of brakebands on brake-wheels. friction acting on thedifferential centers of the short arm of the weighted lever connected toeach end of the brake-band. Consequently the counter-weight and leverare raised by the friction acting on brake-band entirely free of theincline. By moving rod N farther to the left the loweringreversing-clutch is posi- The latter is due to depending on the motivepower to overcome the pressure of the brake-bands, inclines in allrespects like inclines O can be provided and located on rod N to engagethe weights when the rod N is moved to the left, as described. Byconnecting rod N to the reversing mechanism it will be seen at a glancethat as the parts are shifted for reversing the direction of movement ofthe drums the brakes are applied and remain applied until released bythe devices which actuate the reversinggear.

It is evident that my mechanism could be applied to a trolley having butasingle drum,

. and that numerous slight changes in construction and relativearrangement of the several parts might be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention; Hence I would have itunderstood that I do not confine myself to the construction shown anddescribed, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes as fairlyfall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a brake, the combination, with a brake-wheel and a strap or bandembracing the same, of a bell-crank lever provided at its elbow with abore greater in diameter than the axis on which said lever is mounted, acylindrical axle for said bore, a weight on one arm of said lever, andmeans connecting the two ends of the brake-strap to the other arm,substantially as set forth.

2. In a brake, the combination, with a brake-wheel and a strap or bandembracingthe same, of a bell-crank lever, means connecting the two endsof the strap or band to one arm of the bell-crank lever, a weightsecured to the other arm of said lever, and a movable incline forelevating and lowering the weight.

3. In a brake, the combination,withabrakewheel, a brake-strap embracingthe same, and shoes attached to the inner faces of the strap or band andresting against the periphery of the wheel, of a bell-crank lever onearm of which is attached to both ends of the strap or band, a weightcarried by the other arm of said bell-crank lever, and a movable inclineelevating and lowering said weight, substantially as set forth.

4. In a brake, the combination, with a wheel and a band or strapsurrounding the same, of a bell-crank lever one arm of which isconnected to both ends of the strap or band, a weight on the other armof said lever, a movable incline forvelevating and lowering the weightedarm, and means actuated by the devices which actuate thereversing-clutches for moving or actuating the said incline and therebyelevating or lowering the weighted arm, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with two wheels and a band or strap surrounding eachwheel, of a bell-crank lever for each strap, one arm of each lever beingconnected to both ends of its respective strap, a weight on the oppositeend of each lever, and means common to both levers, whereby they arecaused to act simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with two wheels anda band or strap surrounding eachwheel, of a bell-crank lever for each strap, one arm of each lever beingconnected to both ends of its respective strap, a weight on the otherarm of each lever, inclines for elevating said weighted arm, and meansconnecting said inclines, whereby they are caused to movesimultaneously, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN R. MORGAN.

lVitnesses:

FRANK E. DUSSEL, H. W. HARRIS.

